Healing the Wounded
by Prince Bartholomew
Summary: Blinking wearily as I regained consciousness, I found myself in an unfamiliar room. I was shocked to hear quiet sobbing coming from nearby; a small blonde boy was the source, and I felt determined to find out why.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:**_** I don't own Super Smash Brothers or any of the characters in the series.**_

**Author's Note:_ I just want to say that this story is a dedication to a friend of mine. As a tribute to the years of friendship we'd had, I'd tried to mimic his writing style in this fanfic. Without him, I wouldn't have had the motivation to pursue my desire to write or draw. Rest in Peace, my friend._**

x-x-x-x-x

Everyone has a mask.

…No, not a physical mask; everyone has a mask that they wear when they want to hide things. When something is bothering someone, they cover up their sadness with a fake emotion; false happiness, false anger, and sometimes they put on an emotionless expression.

Sometimes they do it for small reasons; maybe a friend had gotten sick and could not play with them. Or perhaps someone realized that a theory that they had was incorrect by a small margin…

Sometimes it is done for something major; perhaps someone tried to ask out their crush, only for their crush to say that they could not return these feelings. Or, it could be even worse; proposing to someone because the couple seemed so perfect…only for the ring bearer to receive rejection.

…But the most devastating blows are terrible losses.

Trauma…the witness of a murder of someone close, the victims of physical or sexual abuse, the loss of family members and friends, the agony of knowing that those loved ones will never come back, the torment of physical scars and mental scars that will never heal, the burning memories that cling furiously and refuse to be forgotten…

…

…There is an old saying…"Time heals all wounds,"…however, for some people, those wounds can never heal. Deep wounds that continue to bleed start to sap away at a person's health, and some people lose their humanity. They do not wish to feel any more pain, so some place a barrier around their hearts. They harden their defenses, their hearts eventually becoming as hard as diamond and as cold as ice.

…Alas, for others, they cannot create defenses; instead, they end their lives – succumbing to the path that eliminates their pain…as well as their future – because they have lost all hope. Not a trace of faith is left within them…

…But that fate can be prevented. All it takes is for someone to reach out and save them…


	2. Bedtime Visitor

**Disclaimer:**_** I don't own Super Smash Brothers or any of the characters in the series.**_

**Author's Note:_ **_I just want to say that this story is a dedication to a friend of mine. As a tribute to the years of friendship we'd had, I'd tried to mimic his writing style in this fanfic. Without him, I wouldn't have had the motivation to pursue my desire to write or draw. Rest in Peace, my friend._**  
><em>**

x-x-x-x-x

…_Don't cry…don't cry…_

His tiny hands clenched into fists as his body quivered. Biting his lip, he tried to contain the tears that were threatening to spill.

…_P-please…don't… cry…_

It was bad enough that people viewed him as a wimp and a scaredy-cat…

…_No…!_

He choked back a sob, but the tears fell.

…_Why…? Why am I such a crybaby?_

His body shook as he began to sob.

_It's bad enough when people tease me and push me around! Why don't they leave me alone? I've never done anything to them…_

Thinking back to an earlier time in the day, he'd recalled Wolf ruining his victory from the match they'd had; he'd been so happy to have won against the humanoid canine, only to have his win be proven to have been a fluke…

…_I'd only won because of that bomb-omb that walked into him because he was charging an attack to send me off the stage…_

Seeing that in the recorded replay, the boy had been crushed; his high spirits had been dashed in that instant, scattered and lost…

Sometime after that, Bowser thought it'd be funny to trip him…and after he'd gotten up and looked hurt, the giant Koopa had "playfully" slapped him on the back, sending him to the floor once again.

_He'd laughed at me, calling me a pushover…telling me that I was too soft, and that any bruises I'd gotten would heal…_

After that, the other kids wanted him to play a game of 'Tag', to which he'd quickly declined.

_I…I wanted to play with them, but…they would've made me 'It' on the first round like they always do…and the stuff they said when I told them I didn't want to play…_

Sure, they'd been joking – trying to persuade him to join them with taunts and teasing words – but the words stung, even if they hadn't been meant to hurt him. He'd nearly burst into tears then, but he had quickly covered his sorrow with a look of anger before going back to his room and locking the door. He had stayed in there for the rest of the day, not even coming out when one of the adults knocked on the door to tell him it was dinner time.

…_It's just not fair…_

It wasn't his fault that he was so emotional; as a victim of trauma, he couldn't help it. His mother died to protect him, his older twin brother was slain by his own hand – however unintentional it had been – and he was the chosen hero of his world. He'd been through so much, and he was still so young…but nobody seemed to remember or care…except for Peach, and sometimes Kirby.

_I just…I wish that someone would understand me…_

~x~x~x~

_-…Urgh…-_

_Pain coursed through my body as I felt myself slowly regaining consciousness. My left hand twitched before slowly reaching for my right shoulder, and I tried to sit up._

_- Oww…! -_

_I decided to stay on the floor for a bit as my other senses eventually returned to me. When I opened my eyes, my vision was a blur. I blinked wearily, hoping that my eyes were not permanently damaged in some way. My vision slowly and steadily cleared, revealing that I was in an unfamiliar room. It was dark, save for the small amount of moonlight shining through the window and a small portion of light coming from underneath the door on the opposite side of the room._

_- …Where am I…? -_

_As I began to rub my aching shoulder, I realized that someone was…sobbing?_

_I felt my heart break; I always disliked it when anyone was sad. With my limited perception from the floor of this room, I knew that I would have to stand up to cheer this person up. Taking in a deep breath, I forced myself to get to my feet, biting back the urge to cry out. When I was certain that I was able to stay on my feet and not fall, I looked for the source of sorrow._

_I blinked a bit, mostly in confusion; before me was a large bed, a small blonde boy sitting atop it – sobbing quietly, his small frame shaking as he cried – and for some reason, I could 'see' energy surrounding him._

_- …Is that…his aura…? -_

_I paused. How did I know what an 'aura' was, anyway? Shaking my head, I decided that I could try to cheer him up._

"…_H-hey, um…"_

_My throat burned as I spoke, my voice soft and raspy, and I thought that he had not heard me at first…_

_But the boy looked up, sniffling and trying to locate me._

"…Who's there?"

_I took a shaky step forward, giving him a warm smile._

"…_Um…Why are you…so sad…?"_

_He must have spotted me, as I noticed his eyes lock onto my frame as I spoke again._

"…_Maybe…I can help…"_

_He blinked, almost in disbelief…_

"…Ness? Is that you?"

_I blinked in confusion, tilting my head slightly; that name was familiar, but it did not feel like my own._

_- …I am not 'Ness'…Am I? Is that my name? -_

_But the boy started to cry again, much to my dismay._

"Th-those things you said to me earlier…just because I didn't p-play Tag with you g-guys…"

_I frowned._

_- …This 'Ness', along with other children, said nasty things to him? How could they…? -_

_I slowly walked up to him, reaching out with my left hand and rubbed his back. He seemed to flinch at my touch, pulling away a bit._

"D-don't touch me…those words hurt, y-you know…"

_I felt upset; I would never say hurtful words to anyone, and this poor boy seemed to be certain that I had done so. I inched closer to him, but made no motion to touch him again._

"…_Is there…a way that…I can make it up…to you…?"_

_It hurt to speak, but I had no desire to let this poor child suffer. If I had somehow hurt his feelings, I was determined to redeem myself._

_I did not expect him to shove me away; in fact, due to my weakened state, I fell back further than I should have. As I landed hard on my back, the pain returned with a fierce intensity, forcing an agonized wail from my lips._

_He looked at me, horrified, rushing over and kneeling at my side._

"Ness! I'm so sorry!"

"…_I…I guess…I deserved that…"_

_He shook his head, wringing his hands._

"No, you didn't…I…I'm so sorry…I didn't…I didn't mean to…"

_I blinked. At first, he had been mad at me for something that I had no recollection of, and now he was concerned about me…?_

_I found myself chuckling at this, but it was cut short by a coughing fit. His eyes widened, obviously frightened._

"…Ness? I…I didn't use any PSI in that push, did I?"

_- …'PSI'? -_

_For some reason, that sounded familiar to me, but I found myself shaking my head slowly._

"_No, you did not…"_

_I forced myself to sit up, grimacing as the pain lingered. The boy covered his mouth, looking upset._

"…Ness, if…if I accidentally hurt you…"

_By now, I found myself wondering if I really was this 'Ness'; the name was so familiar, but somehow, it did not feel right to accept it. I shrugged my left shoulder, hoping that the boy did not notice my half-gesture._

"_I…I will live…but…could you…tell me why you were…so sad before?"_

_He frowned at my attempt to change the subject, but sighed._

"Well…other than those hurtful things you guys said earlier…"

_He sniffled a bit, and I prayed that he would not start crying again._

"…I…Well…Do you mind if I show you through Telepathy?"

_- …He has Telepathy? So he is a psychic, then… -_

_Blinking, I recalled what some psychics with telepathic abilities did to share with others; they lightly touched foreheads if their power was weak, or just sent the message with pure willpower if their ability was strong. I gave a small smile, nodding._

"_Sure."_

_As I had expected, he leaned his head forward a bit, and I lightly touched my forehead with his, allowing him to show me what had caused his sorrow._

_The first memory started off happy; he had beaten someone in a test of strength, but was crushed when his opponent pointed out that his victory was pure luck._

_The second memory was upsetting; someone who was bigger than him had tripped him, and then had knocked him down. It had been done purposely, and the bully had felt no guilt._

_The third memory was painful; other children were teasing and taunting him, saying hurtful things. Though they had not meant any of those things that had been said, it still seemed to sting…_

_The final memory nearly made me cry; he had been here, in his room, feeling hurt and alone. The boy's memories of his past had resurfaced, adding more to his suffering. The death of his mother, the death of his twin brother, and the fact that the fate of his world had been on his shoulders while he was still so young made it all worse. People were picking on him because they saw him as a weaker being, they saw him as 'prey'…_

…_But I had finally learned his name; he was Lucas, a psychic boy who had suffered trauma, so much sorrow…_

_We pulled away, and he was sniffling again._

_I reached out with my left hand again, rubbing his back gently and hoping that he would not shove me again. Again, he surprised me; he had wrapped his arms around my middle, pushing his face into my chest and sobbing. Even though my chest was now burning in agony, I bit my lip, allowing him to cry and continuing to rub his back._

"_It will be…okay, Lucas…Everything…will be okay…"_

_As his sobs began to slow down, I glanced at the digital clock on his nightstand. It was almost one in the morning, and I was certain that Lucas was exhausted by now. An idea popped into my mind, and I hoped that I could pull it off._

"…_H-hey…Lucas…would you…like for me to sing to you?"_

_He pulled away from my chest slightly, looking up at me with curiosity._

"…You...You would sing to me, Ness?"

_I nodded._

"_If…you really want me to, I will."_

_- …And hopefully my voice will not die halfway through the song… -_

_He seemed to consider it for a moment._

"If…you don't mind…"

_I smiled._

"_I do not mind at all…"_

_I motioned towards his bed, and he eagerly got underneath the covers. I got onto my knees, staying at his side as I thought of a song. A certain one came to mind, and I took a deep, painful breath._

"_**You would not believe your eyes,**_

_**If ten million fireflies**_

_**Lit up the world as I fell asleep…**_

'_**Cause they fill the open air,**_

_**And leave teardrops everywhere**_

_**You'd think me rude, but I'd just stand and…stare…**_

_**I'd like to make myself believe,**_

_**That planet Earth…turns…slowly…**_

_**It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep,**_

'_**Cause everything is never as it seems…**_

'_**Cause I get a thousand hugs,**_

_**From ten thousand lightning bugs,**_

_**As they try to teach me how to dance…**_

_**A foxtrot above my head,**_

_**A sock hop beneath my bed,**_

_**A disco ball is just hanging by a thread…**_

_**I'd like to make myself believe,**_

_**That planet Earth…turns…slowly…**_

_**It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep,**_

'_**Cause everything is never as it seems…**_

_**(…When I fall asleep…)**_

_**Leave my door open just a crack…**_

_**(…Please take me away from here…)**_

'_**Cause I feel like such an insomniac…**_

_**(…Please take me away from here…)**_

_**Why do I tire of counting sheep?**_

_**(…Please take me away from here…)**_

_**When I'm far too tired to fall asleep?"**_

_By now, my throat was on fire as I tried to maintain a soft singing voice without rasping, and Lucas was almost asleep. I smiled at him as he looked at me with a dozing gaze, taking another deep, painful breath._

"_**To ten million fireflies,**_

_**I'm weird 'cause I hate goodbyes,**_

_**I got misty eyes as they said farewell.**_

_**(…They said farewell…)**_

_**But I'll know where several are,**_

_**If my dreams get real bizarre,**_

'_**Cause I saved a few and I keep them in a jar…**_

_**I'd like to make myself believe,**_

_**That planet Earth…turns…slowly…**_

_**It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep,**_

'_**Cause everything is never as it seems…**_

_**(…When I fall asleep…)**_

_**I'd like to make myself believe,**_

_**That planet Earth…turns…slowly…**_

_**It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep,**_

'_**Cause everything is never as it seems…**_

_**(…When I fall asleep…)"**_

_Lucas was now asleep, and my throat was burning even more than before, so I allowed my voice to slowly change back to its quieter, raspy state._

"…_**I'd like to make myself believe…**_

…_**That planet Earth…turns…slowly…**_

_**It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep,**_

_**Because my dreams are bursting at the seams…"**_

_I looked at the sleeping boy, a weak smile tugging at my lips._

_- …Goodnight, Lucas… -_

~x~x~x~

**Author's Note:_ Depending on how many people like this concept, I might continue it. Also, I don't own the song Fireflies_****_; that was written and is copyrighted by the band Owl City._**


	3. New Day and a Side Order of Confusion

**Disclaimer:**_** I don't own Super Smash Brothers or any of the characters in the series.**_

**Author's Note:_ I just want to say that this story is a dedication to a friend of mine. **_**_As a tribute to the years of friendship we'd had, I'd tried to mimic his writing style in this fanfic._**_** Without him, I wouldn't have pursued my desire to write or draw. Rest in peace, my friend._**

x-x-x-x-x

For once in a long while, Lucas had slept peacefully; no horrifying nightmares or painful flashbacks haunted him while he rested.

But he was a rather light sleeper, and as the scent of something alluring reached his nose, he found himself waking up. Sitting up slowly, a small yawn escaped his lips, and he paused to glance at his window. The sun was in the process of rising, giving the horizon a breathtaking radiating glow. Staring at this beautiful scene made him smile; he had never woken up this early to see such a sight!

…But the mouth-watering odor caught his nose again, and he looked for the source.

…_No way…_

He stared in awe at the tray on his nightstand; upon it was a glass of orange juice, a note, and several omelettes carefully placed on a plate. Some of the omelettes had ketchup doodles on them, and others had been left plain.

Curious, he restrained himself from digging into the delicious food and, instead, picked up the note.

'**Lucas,**

**I apologize for any pain that I have caused you. You might not forgive me so easily, and I do not expect you to, but perhaps I can redeem myself over time. If anyone else starts to bully you again, remember this:**

**You are a strong person! Believe in your strengths, try to improve on your weaknesses, and _smile_! Believe in _yourself_; you can overcome many obstacles! I have faith in you; I _know_ that you have more power inside of you that has yet to be unleashed!'**

That's when Lucas's vision began to blur.

…_He…he wrote this…for me…?_

Quickly wiping his eyes, he realized that there was more written on the note.

'…**Do not forget about the breakfast I brought you! I hope that you do not mind ketchup on your food; I could not resist doodling a bit…but I left some plain just in case!**

**Take care for now, Lucas!'**

In the bottom right corner of the note, there was a quick, rough sketch of Lucas himself in a battle pose.

…_He drew this for me, too…_

The little doodle on the note was uplifting; even after he'd pushed Ness hard last night – and possibly injured him in the process – his friend had forgiven him. He'd even offered to sing a song for Lucas; something that was extremely rare, considering that none of the kids ever sang…

…_Not in public, at least…_

Smiling a bit, Lucas carefully put the note away so that it wouldn't get crumpled or ruined. He turned to the omelettes and stared at the doodles in awe. While they had merely been created with ketchup, they still looked nice; each omelette that had the red condiment on it seemed to be a type of background. Interesting scenery that almost seemed to come to life – well, in Lucas' mind, anyway – intrigued him, and he smiled.

…_Thank you, Ness._

~x~x~x~

As Lucas walked through the hallway, he realized that his body felt lighter – as if a tremendous weight had been lifted from him – and he noticed that he felt happy; a smile seemed to be stuck on his face, but it felt…_**genuine**_. For once, his usual forced smile wasn't on his face today, which surprised the blonde boy himself, but his happy expression didn't falter.

…_Well, after what Ness did for me last night, I feel a lot better now. Maybe I can get him to sing that song at the next Karaoke Night. What's the name of the song that he sang…?_

He realized that song wasn't familiar to him at all; he'd have to ask Ness about it if he wanted to know more. Lucas mentally shrugged and walked in the direction of the Battle Rooms. He could ask Ness later, after all of the requested battles were over. If he was lucky, he wouldn't be assigned any battles today. Of course, it all depended on who put up match requests on the Battle Monitor, including any fans who sent in their own requests about who they wanted to see brawling. Of course, for the 'popular' Smashers, that meant a lot of brawling each day, while the 'lesser' Smashers could relax a bit more and focus on their own personal hobbies.

_I guess that's why I should be happy that I'm not a swordsman…_

Soon, Lucas was in the Battle Lobby, and he noticed that a few other fighters were either lounging on the couches provided in the area or checking their own schedules for the day. He walked up to the giant screen that displayed which fighters would fight each other at certain times, as well as the type of battles they would be involved in. Glancing through the names, he realized that he wasn't assigned any fights today.

"Hey, wimpy psychic _clone_."

Lucas frowned at the weak insult and at the familiar voice stating it.

…_Wolf is still angry at my fluke win, isn't he…?_

"Yo, scaredy-cat, I'm talking to you!"

Lucas didn't turn around to acknowledge the rude name-calling; that would only add more fuel to the fire, after all, and he didn't want that. Instead, he waited for Wolf to get closer to talk. However, the blonde psychic didn't count on the annoyed humanoid canine to punch him in the shoulder. He turned around, rubbing his now aching shoulder and frowning at the taller Smasher.

"I challenge you to another match…unless you're too much of a chicken."

Lucas felt his good mood deteriorating, slowly getting closer to the sea of sorrow.

_What does he have to gain from another match from me? After all, my previous win was just a fluke…Although…he probably wants to rub an easy victory in my face, as usual…and I don't doubt that he'd win this time…_

However, something tugged him back, pulling him away from the familiar sad sensation.

'_**Lucas, do not give in! You just have to believe in yourself! I have faith in you! I know that you are strong; prove everyone else wrong and show them that you are done holding back!'**_

…_Ness…?_

Lucas blinked a bit, confused. His friend had just sent him a telepathic message, hadn't he? Not only that, but his words had been encouraging. The blonde boy remembered the note that Ness had left for him, how nice the other psychic had been, and how supportive the darker-haired psychic had become after seeing his plight.

"What's the matter, wimp? Too scared?"

Suddenly feeling a strong boost of confidence, Lucas glared at Wolf, startling the other Smasher momentarily before he replied.

"Scared? Hardly! I'm just wondering why you're challenging me if my win yesterday was just a _fluke_. Or maybe you're just trying to save face and make yourself look tougher than you actually are, because, _**technically**_, you're a clone of both Fox _**and**_ Falco."

He paused, letting the words sink in before smirking.

"Or is the _Big Bad Wolf_ suffering from low self-esteem so badly that he has to beat up a little boy to prove his worth?"

It wasn't until the expression on Wolf's face changed to shock that Lucas realized what he said.

…_That wasn't me, was it?_

However, the 'Big Bad Wolf' soon looked enraged, his eyes narrowing and his lips pulling back into a snarl, showing off his sharp teeth.

"Listen here, punk, if you think you can get away with insulting me, you're sadly mistaken!"

Wolf started to advance on Lucas as the boy backed away slowly; the bigger Smasher was clearly angry and not wanting to leave without a fight. Before the angry anthro could cause any harm towards the boy, two gloved hands reached out and pulled Lucas out of the way.

"Hey, now, Wolfie, it's not cool to pick on the kids. If you wanna settle things, there's the Battle Rooms. After all, you know how Master Hand gets when fights happen outside the designated areas…"

Wolf snarled at the new threat, and Lucas realized that he was looking at sharp, blue quills.

…_Sonic?_

"Out of the way, _hedgehog_, I've got some unfinished business to deal with."

Lucas watched as Sonic's mouth upturned into a playful grin.

"If it's business you need to take care of, I'd suggest heading to the bathrooms. I don't think anyone would appreciate it if Wolfie left us all '_little presents_' in the hallways…"

The speedy blue hedgehog laughed as Wolf's face went red before a loud growl came from the completely ticked off anthro. Of course, the hedgehog seemed to have one more trick up his non-existent sleeve…

"What? No clever retorts? Well, Wolfie, I guess that _**you're too slow!**_"

In less than a millisecond, Lucas realized that he was grabbed as Sonic made a run for it, laughing as the _extremely angry_ Wolf chased them. The other Smashers in the lobby watched, completely stupefied, as Wolf tried to chase the ever-elusive Sonic, who was carrying a very surprised and confused Lucas while he ran.

…_What is this, I don't even…_


End file.
